Posted by Me
Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:11:00 GMT
I have been meaning to update my blog for quite sometime, but taking care of Jack has been a full-time job and then some. The last couple of weeks have been a bit tough since he seems to be getting more fussy – especially at night. Sleeping has been a rarity and he still feeds anywhere from 1 hour to 2 1/2 hour intervals. Needless to say – my boobs are sure getting a workout.
Albeit things haven’t been super easy – Jack is wonderful. He’s so much more alert now that he is a month old. He had his 1 month check-up last Wednesday and he weighed in at 11 lbs and 1 oz! Wowzers! I guess my worry that I am feeding him enough was silly. Our Pediatrician told us to keep up the good work. Overall, she seemed very pleased with him. He is a very alert and as said gaining and growing accordingly. Besides his weight gain, he grew 2 inches. :) He is still a bit yellow but she wasn’t super concerned. We are supposed to have a follow-up Bilirubin test after 6 weeks if he is still a bit yellow – just to double-check.
So – yay! He is growing. He has the coolest facial expressions. It’s so much fun to watch. He is still the hardest baby to burb ever which makes my nights oh so much tougher. We tried the gas drops and I don’t think they do much of anything. :( I really hope Jack handles gas and all that much better as time goes on. Everyone keeps saying it’ll get better – easier. I sure hope so. LOML was a very challenging baby according to my MIL. I think Jack got a little bit of his dad in him when it comes to that regard. Oh well! All I can do is take it day by day.
I am still exclusively breastfeeding and I have my good and bad days when it comes to that. Sometimes his inability to burb properly makes it a little harder at times and attributes to my sleepless nights. LOML has been helping out a lot and it’s been great. I feel bad though since he still has a day job for which he has to be lucid and aware so overall I try to take the brunt of Jack’s wakeful hours. When I need a break, LOML steps in and helps out which I am eternally grateful for. :)
Last week my mom and dad were in town and it was soooooo great. They really helped out. They cooked us meals and held Jack so I could get some naps here and there. I really miss them and wish they lived closer (they live in Florida!) I hope they can come out again soon. It’s so great to see them with their grandson. :)
Anyways, I am trying to bang this post out before Jack squawks again which could be any minute. ;) He’s due for his bath tonight since he truly is a most of the time spit-up baby! Ahh, those digestive issues! I hope they pass soon as he gets older and things mature. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
In any case, I am going to try to jump in the shower real quick to help one of my boobs since I think I may have a clogged milk duct there and it’s hurting quite a bit!
So – yes, we are still alive – going through some rough spots right now as new parents but thrilled beyond belief to have this little guy in our lives. He’s incredible and so darn cute I can’t believe it! :) We are lucky to have him in our lives even if he keeps Mommy and Daddy from getting some sleep most of the time! He’s a miracle and we don’t forget it or take him for granted.
Ok – I am hearing a meltdown in progress – gotta’ go!
Posted in Hello, my name is Infertile, Everyday Livin', Relating, Baby G | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Me
Sat, 20 Jan 2007 19:36:00 GMT
Here we are at the end of Week 2. Tomorrow Jack will be 2 weeks old. Wow, time sure flies by. :) Jack is doing well. He’s eating often and having a good number of wet and soiled diapers which helps me ascertain that my milk is getting to him. It’s amazing how much he is changing everyday. I mean I know people told me that the first few weeks are quite extraordinary in the way how they change. I believe he is getting a bit chubbier which makes his already chubby cheeks even fuller. He is having a few more “awake” hours where his eyes are wide open and exploring the world. He still sleeps a ton, but that is to be expected being that he is still itty bitty. :)
He still isn’t a fan of his bassinet so we ended up getting a co-sleeper/inclining sleep positioner thing for our bed to help transition him. We tried it out last night and he did pretty well. He only woke up for feedings every 2 to 2 1/2 hours or if he had a soiled diaper. It was nice not to have to sleep holding him in the recliner since though my Nursing Chair is pretty darn comfortable it is hard to really drift off in a reclined position. We’re hoping to get him used to the co-sleeper/sleep positioner, then slowly move it and him to the bassinet and once that works we’ll try the crib when he is a little older. We figure one day at a time and one step at a time. Hopefully, having the sleep positioner will help him feel more snug and get him more comfortable sleeping on his own.
Other than that, his color is looking better. He is less yellow/orange red which is a good thing. I think he is slowly pooping out the bilirubin and lowering his levels. He still has a slight yellow tint to him but it isn’t nearly as pronounced as it was a few days ago. Phew!
LOML & I are still adjusting to the limited sleep thing. Some days are better than others, but overall we are hanging in there and trying to figure out life after baby. We love, love getting to know this little guy and can’t believe that he is finally here. He is truly our little miracle and we are so grateful to have him in our lives after all that it has taken to create him. We hope that he continues to prosper and grow. My sister and her fiance are coming for a visit next week. That should be cool. My Mom and Dad are planning to come for another visit a week after that which should be nice since it’ll be a little longer than the last time they were here.
In any case, my heart is bursting with pride and joy as I am looking down at my lap where our son is taking a little nap while mommy updates her blog. I still can’t believe I am a mom. I never thought it would happen and now that it is here it is still taking some time to truly believe it. For so long, I only dreamed of this and most of the time was certain it would never happen. As I look at his sweet face in deep slumber, I am reminded by our journey and all that we’ve been through. As any infertile woman will attest that even if we manage to break through to the other side, our lives are forever changed by our experiences. I am not going to lie and say that these past 2 weeks have been a piece of cake. They haven’t. The no-sleep thing is something to get used to – getting a hang of the breastfeeding thing is a challenge and overall I am not entirely confident of my mothering abilities. However, no matter how tired I am or how challenging some days/nights might be – not one second do I ever forget how amazing I have it – how special this time is. I try my very best to acknowledge and experience each and every day. I can already see how quickly time flies and how quickly he changes. I don’t want to miss out on anything. I have waited for this chance for the longest time and now that it is here I do not want to take anything (least of all him!) for granted. I know I have been blessed and I promise to never forget it!
I am a Mommy and I know life will never be the same again! Thank goodness for that! :)
Posted in Hello, my name is Infertile, Everyday Livin', Baby G | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Me
Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:45:00 GMT
Thanks so much for all the congratulatory comments! :) I can’t believe my little guy is already 9 days old. The last week just whizzed by though with the whole limited sleep thing all the days have blended into one long stretch.
Sleep is still hard to come by but we are managing. Jack is still not a big fan of being left in the bassinette alone so that’s made the evenings a big challenging. We are hoping to work on that in the next few days. Right now, I am writing this post as he is sleeping peacefully in my arms.
The last week also has been a bit rough since when we saw our pediatrician she noted that he lost quite a bit of weight – he went from 7 lbs 14 oz to 7 lbs at the first visit. However, that day I had just gotten my milk in and since I was trying to breastfeed exclusively I guess he didn’t get enough to eat. Our pediatrician instructed me to breastfeed as much as I could to see if his weight gain improved. In addition to the significant drop in weight, Jack was also a bit yellow which can be a result of losing too much weight and being born early. We had a few bilirubin tests done to see his levels and only got the news yesterday that his levels seem to be on the downward slope. It helps that he has been feeding well and pooping/peeing well. Our Doctor said that he should be out of the woods, but to keep an eye on him. If we see him suddenly turn more yellow/orange, have a decrease in appetite, and/or decrease in peeing/pooping to bring him back in for a check-up. So far I think he is doing ok. He is due for another feeding soon which will hopefully yield a poopy diaper. I swear I haven’t been so excited about seeing poopy diapers than I have in the last few days. Welcome to Motherhood, I guess! ;)
Yesterday, we went in for our weekly check-up and his circumcision. The check-up went well. He has gained back his birth weight and is back at 7 lbs and 14 oz (Yay!). The circumcision went as well as could be expected. LOML was with him in the room. Jack was understandably upset – I mean who wouldn’t be. However, after nursing him at home and making him comfy he was able to slip into a nice sweet slumber.
LOML & I are adjusting. We consider ourselves so lucky to have this little guy home. He’s incredible. I can just sit there with him in my arms and stare at him for hours. At times, I still have to pinch myself to truly believe that our little miracle is home and hopefully on the mend. I was quite worried there for a while when I heard about his weight loss and jaundice, but hopefully we are slowly moving all passed that. :)
In any case, we are getting to know this little fellow and love him so much. Though it has only been a week since he made his arrival, I can’t imagine our lives without him.
As far as I am concerned, I am doing well. I still feel a bit poofy which you can see from the pictures. I had some serious swelling in my ankles and hands last week, but that has subsided. I know I am still retaining more fluid that I should but hopefully that will pass soon. Besides being a bit more tired, I can’t complain. I am a Mom. Jack is home with us and I couldn’t be happier. LOML has been amazing. A true hands on Dad and I know Jack & I are lucky to have him around. I swear he’s better than me when it comes to diaper changing. :)
I am sorry if this post is still a little all over the place. I guess not sleeping much for 9 days can take its toll. I hope that in a few more weeks we get a better handle on things. I know it takes some time to adjust and adjust we will. For now, we are just taking it one day at a time and making sure we get to know our son and ensure he has everything he needs to grow and be healthy.
Posted in Everyday Livin', Relating, Baby G | 1 comment | no trackbacks
Posted by Me
Tue, 09 Jan 2007 20:28:00 GMT
I am pleased to announce that Jack Austin arrived on Sunday, January 7, 2007 at 9:12am much to my and LOML’s surprise! He was 3 weeks early, but coming in at 7 lbs and 14 oz – 19 inches long. Yowzers! I am grateful he decided to come early since if he had waited until his due date I may have ended up with a 10 lbs baby and a definite c-section. As it is, everyone was surprised at how full-term he looked! :)
Here are some of his pics on our Flickr Account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mjg2/sets/72157594469874077/
Everyone is doing well. My water broke around 1am on Sunday and we headed into L&D. They weren’t sure that my water really broke since the test they did was inclusive. I hadn’t had any contractions when I called the Dr on call, but they started once we headed to the hospital. I kept on leaking fluid which is why they kept me there for observation for a few hours. Around 5am I was officially admitted since I was 5cm dilated and contractions were getting more regular (and more painful!). By 8:30am, I was a full 10cm dilated and ready to go. Unfortunately, my doctor was out of town, but his partner on call was great. Jack had a little trouble coming out causing his heart rate to go down a little. The Doctor wanted to get an OR ready just in case we needed to have an emergency c-section. Luckily, with some more pushing sets and a vacuum, Jack was able to be delivered sans c-section. I had an epidural which was a beautiful thing and Dad, Jack, & I are well. Tired but well!
We were discharged yesterday so are settling in at home. He is amazing and I can’t stop smiling that this little guy is actually here home with us. As I am typing this he is sleeping on my lap in a sling looking oh so sweet! I never thought this day would be here. I haven’t slept but a few hours here and there since he is quite the feeder. I hope my milk comes in soon – I am hopeful that it will. LOML has been wonderful and spending loads of time bonding with him which is just great. I am not super sleep deprived yet, but I think that’s cuz I still have some adrenaline coursing through my body. I am sure it’ll hit me soon. Jack doesn’t like to be in the bassinette by himself – more comfortable having either LOML or I hold him. Hopefully, in a little time, he’ll feel more comfortable being laid down on his own. For now, we’ll just keep him close.
My parents are flying in tomorrow night. LOML’s family who lives in town have already seen him loads and have been wonderful help. Overall, we are doing well on this end – just getting to know our new son. :)
I still honestly can’t believe he is here. I am sure it’ll take some time to have it all sink in. Sometimes, I feel like I have to pinch myself to see if this all for real. We have waited so long for this day and I am just moved to tears at the thought that our miracle is finally here. So though we are tired, we couldn’t be happier. Thanks for everyone who reads this blog and has offered all the support and best wishes during our journey. I couldn’t have made it without all of your support.
In any case, I thought I’d update everyone with the news on our end. Hope everyone is well! And I’ll update soon once we are all settled in and I have more time.
Posted in Baby G | 4 comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Me
Wed, 03 Jan 2007 20:38:00 GMT
We had another appointment today. The first of our weekly ones. :) Overall, it was pretty uneventful which is good in my book. My BP was a little raised but I attribute that to being nervous – different nurse and I am just anxiety-ridden these days. In any case, Dr. H wasn’t concerned. I had a reading in that range before so it wasn’t all that unusual for me. I just get so nervous when I step into that office! Ulgh!
In any case, Dr. H took the measurement and I seem to be measuring on target. Heartbeat of baby sounded good and when Dr. H felt my belly from the outside he said it seems like Jack is heads down. :) So, yay! He’s heads down! We’ll know more at next week’s appointment since that’s when we’ll start the lovely internal exams. :) At that point in time, we’ll be able to see if I have started to dilate and all that jazz.
Dr. H also reviewed my Kick Count sheet and was happy to see that the longest he’ll take is 15 mins. He has loads of hiccup times which isn’t a cause of concern either. Overall, Dr. H just said to keep it up so hopefully Jack listened and will keep kicking. :)
I also had my Group B Strep Test done today. Hopefully, everything checks out okay. If not, I am sure I’ll get a call next week.
I can’t believe we are at the weekly appointments phase already. I do feel more worried as of late since I just really hope nothing bad happens in the last few weeks. I hope everything continues well and Jack arrives healthy.
In the meantime, I am catching up on my reading and wrapping up work. Bags have been packed. Nursery is ready and LOML & I are trying to get as much rest as possible since that is what everyone is telling is to do. :) Yowzers! It’s getting closer!
Posted in Baby G, Dr. H | no comments | no trackbacks
